JIM BEAM & ESPN CROSS-PLATFORM PROMOTION

It started with just a meeting.

The Direction

An ESPN marketing team was preparing for an important meeting with Jim Beam, a client they had not worked with before. In an age where the value of a cross-platform sell is heavily weighted, what do you arm your client with that exudes:

They understand the value and importance of the Jim Beam brand

The two brands, ESPN and Jim Beam can meld together in an organic way

ESPN’s wealth of media properties offer variety of vehicles across which Jim Beam can effectively communicate their brand messaging

More impact nd connection than a boring ‘ol presentation

Never show up empty handed.

The Translation

We designed, printed and wrapped several bottles of Jim Beam using their existing label and seamlessly integrated ESPN’s cross-platform media package into the design.

The labels included key points about the ESPN brand and provided a memorable example of how well the two brands fit together.

A partnership was formed…

The Affect

In the words of the AE, “the client was blown away” by the example and asked for more that he could share with others in his organization.

The impact of this unique marketing approach resulted in a partnership between ESPN nd Jim Beam—and led to one of the most talked about custom cross-platform content integrations.

…and “The Next Round” was born.

The Results:

The Next Round, presented by Jim Beam, was a web series hosted by ESPN’s Scoop Jackson, featuring athletes, actors, comedians and other celebrity guests discussing current topics, sports culture and more. It was promoted on TV, online and in print.

Barbour played a significant role in the rollout of The Next Round, and created a Jim Beam cover wrap for ESPN The Magazine and several print ads that ran for almost two years.